What have you learned?

Terpnista84

What lessons have you learned during your weight loss/lifestyle change that you plan?

1. Slow and steady wins the race. Whenever I tried to lose in the past, I would always try to start out drastically because I was always in a rush to get to my goal. I would start at low-carb diets (that I stuck with only a few days) and try to take short cuts. I have learned that the time to lose weight is worth it and should not be rushed.

2. Only eat what you have earned. We have free will to eat whatever we please, but that doesn't mean we should. Certain foods have to be earned. Now I eat according to my activity level instead of what I want to treat myself and feel I deserve it.

3. Food is not for comfort. I hardly ever eat for comfort anymore. I used to anticipate takeout on Fridays to start my weekends and/or have a pancake breakfast on Saturday. A lot of times I would eat just to elevate my mood. I have discovered that exercise if far more effective.

4. I can live without soda (self-explanatory)

5. Do what makes me feel good. Eating crap made me feel like crap. I like that eating healthy/being healthy has had an overall positive effect on me. I've definitely learned that you truly are what you eat.

Feel free to add on...

Atishi87

You have to stick to clean eating for at least 2-3 months to see results. Holds true for me, dunno about others.

Also, lifting is way better than cardio if you wanna see changes.

Hezzietiger1

I am stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for
Doubt is stupid
Surround yourself with people who get it and are in it
Take pride in eating for nutrition and fitness benefits
Evaluate and reevaluate your goals
Have fun and inspire

OMG_Twinkies

Take the time to understand why you overeat and to identify your triggers. Otherwise, you might lose all the weight, but until you truly understand what got you to where you are, you carry a high risk of gaining the weight back. Especially when eating is your go-to coping mechanism.

imageaddict

It's less about how much you eat, and more about what you eat!
The weight will come off easily once the foods you're intolerant of are removed from your diet (for me, gluten, dairy, soy).
Most cravings lessen with time. (I too can live without Diet Coke!)
I can do it (diet, exercise) for myself even when no one else around me is (although they might desperately need to!)

ken_hogan

Don't put the word 'only' before the word 'lost' when talking about what you lost this past week. Some weeks are smaller than what you may expect even though you feel you did EVERYTHING 100% right. Other weeks when you feel that you may not have been 100%, your loss may just surprise you.

HealthyGinny

No, I will not die if I try to exercise (I can even run).

I learnt to drink water all through the day.

I can eat pretty "clean" but still have one or two treats on weekends and have them fit my cal goal and macros.

Losing weight can be painless if done right.

I can have ups and downs and not have it ruin all my efforts.

The "all or nothing"mentality can be fought even if it's hard as f***

micheleb15

The scale lies
Make goals that aren't all about size (like lifting certain amount, running a certain length)
Life's too short, eat the foods you want without guilt.
One bad day doesn't ruin everything.

HealthyGinny

Don't put the word 'only' before the word 'lost' when talking about what you lost this past week. Some weeks are smaller than what you may expect even though you feel you did EVERYTHING 100% right. Other weeks when you feel that you may not have been 100%, your loss may just surprise you.

I have to keep that in mind even after all this time

wizbeth1218

What lessons have you learned during your weight loss/lifestyle change that you plan?

Eat right to lose weight; exercise to change your body shape. Two different goals, two different approaches.

Drink water. A lot of water.

Exercise is not a punishment for eating too many calories. It's a way to celebrate the amazing capabilities of the body you're blessed with.

Never, never, never, never give up.

freckledLeanne

The scale lies
Make goals that aren't all about size (like lifting certain amount, running a certain length)
Life's too short, eat the foods you want without guilt.
One bad day doesn't ruin everything.

Yes, yes, yes!

pchesnut

I have learned that keeping a record of everything I eat really helps me to evaluate the level of health going in to my body.

I have learned that I like having the energy to keep up with my kids when we go out to play

I have learned that when I eat well, the level of energy I have through out the day DRASTICALLY increases.

I have learned that that same level of energy makes my nights with the hubs more fun too ;-)

I have learned that I really really love fish

I have learned that this isn't a race. 2lbs a week wont make huge fast changes in how I look but I feel great and I know I can keep up with this until I reach my goal.

Mostly I have learned that when I eat like crap-I feel like crap. When I eat great-I feel great. Kind of a no brainer.

MyChocolateDiet

I never knew there were so many factors that went into determining someone's calorie goals for the day.

I always thought it was as simple as one number for men, one number for women, and one number for pregnant and nursing women.

Also muffins. I am still baffled by how many calories muffins have, most of the other high calories foods I already knew but this one, I just can't get over.

kpk54

I love to cook. Always have. Always will.

Since it is just my husband and me, I've learned to cut recipes in half, thirds or even quarters.

My freezer is only so big and I certainly do not need to buy another for 2 people.

mikedel48

The importance (for me) of tracking calorie input to achieve sustained weight loss.

I tracked cardio-related calorie expenditures for the last ten years, but just kept cycling through the same 5-10 pounds of weight loss/gain. When I started using MFP last November I gained insight into the caloric cost of the snacking that I did on a daily basis. I discovered that I can hold myself accountable IF (and only if) I have the data to base it on.

AA1ex

When trying new things open your mind. (Great for life, in general)

When trying healthier options from classic favorites, understand it is meant to be similar and will NEVER be the same. (ex. instead of buffalo wings I now do cauliflower buffalo bites)

When trying new workouts, just do your best! There is no need to kill yourself trying to go as fast as the paid professionals or "challenging" the person next to you.

Joehenny

You can eat whatever you want and lose weight as long as in a calorie deficit.

HollisGrant

I've learned to read everything and watch my calories. There's no way I'm going to eat one 200 calorie piece of chocolate candy after I walked in the summer heat for an hour to burn those calories.

Sandytoes71

I am stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for
Doubt is stupid
Surround yourself with people who get it and are in it
Take pride in eating for nutrition and fitness benefits
Evaluate and reevaluate your goals
Have fun and inspire

I like this thinking )

icyeyes317

I learned that I am an odd duck with abnormal nutritional needs.

But being an odd duck works for me. "Quark".

EjaneK11

I have learned that portion control is very important. I realized that I didn't need to eat as much as I thought I did before I started measuring. I also learned that I don't need to drink pop all the time, water is such a better choice. Also I learned that diet pop was messing with my stomach. When I stopped drinking diet my tummy felt better, didn't even realized it felt weird but noticed a difference when I stopped.

EjaneK11

Also to always read my calories so I know what I am about to eat.

2vayla

I'm human and I will have set backs, but I don't have to give up because of them...

VorJoshigan

Excellent list! I would add:

-Stay aware of what you are eating. It's easy to get off track if you aren't paying attention.

-Eliminate the binary thinking of "well I already screwed up a little bit, might as well go whole hog!" Past failures do not need to define you. Every moment is a new beginning.

drojen

5. Do what makes me feel good. Eating crap made me feel like crap. I like that eating healthy/being healthy has had an overall positive effect on me. I've definitely learned that you truly are what you eat.

Oh boy, did I learn this lesson over the weekend. My first real out of control, eat everything in sight weekend since starting in January. I felt so horrible and lethargic on Sunday. I hope I can remember that feeling the next time I'm presented with a busy weekend.

Related to this - number one lesson for me:

1. Plan ahead. Make a plan for the week, get the groceries in the house for it and then STICK to the PLAN! If you're going to have a busy day, make sure there are either leftovers or have something in the slow cooker so you don't have to face cooking something once you get home.

2. Next lesson - learn to forgive yourself for what really are minor transgressions. One day does not ruin 6 months of work. If I gained anything, it certainly isn't the entire 40+ pounds I've lost so far. One or two pounds is not the end of the world. Get back on track and keep on keeping on! Slow and steady really does win the race and I really do feel I learned a valuable lesson this weekend.

da_bears10089

Terpnista84

Losing weight can be painless if done right.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!! These past four months or so have been relatively painless. I could have challenged myself more but I am proud of my results and I definitely feel like I can keep this up long-term.

Terpnista84

I have learned that portion control is very important.

Absolutely! I eat pretty much whatever I want (within reason) but I just know that a little is more than enough. For me, a small tasting is all I need to kill the craving. After you reach a certain point you are only doing yourself a disservice. I used to go nuts whenever Whole Foods had pasta and cheese at the bar. When they have it, I will get a very small spoonful which amounts to about 8 pieces of penne and keep it moving. It satisfies my comfort food craving and I don't feel guilty or like a slob.

I also learned that I don't need dessert. Lone gone are those days when I couldn't go home unless I stopped at the store to make sure I had enough soda in my refrigerator to get me through the night and I had to make sure I had dessert to go with my Friday night take out.

I'm really happy at the way I went about my weight loss. Eating clean would have never worked for me because I would have went back to my old ways after I got to my goal weight. It's true that you will be successful when you find a plan you can stick to.

Marjrides

YES! and ditto to nearly everything already posted! In about 18 months I have lost nearly 72 pounds and while I have a few more to go before I start maintaining, I'm not in a big hurry because I want to stay there once I get there. This time I feel I have a good chance of doing just that because of what I have learned on this journey.

Thebeezknees

To not focus on the "C" but the A+B. Simply eating healthy, and moving when it feels good, when it sucks, and everywhere in between, always, always leads to results!

That food is fuel, not fun.

That there really is no excuse not to eat healthy. I'm on the road 24/7 for my job and live out of hotels. It's a choice to eat healthy, an it's my choice to stock the mini fridge with clean food.

That all healthy food can be cooked in a microwave

Sparlingo

That burn I feel when I lift weights is a GOOD thing (within reason - need to differentiate between working and pain!), and will not kill me. I need to push to where I am uncomfortable if I want to grow and be stretched personally.

That there is no cosmic force preventing me from reaching my fitness goals. Any obstacles are self-imposed.

That this isn't all-or-nothing. Better-than-yesterday works, too. Or even good-most-days. If we allow a bad meal/day/week/whatever to derail us, we can expect to be derailed. If you're going to have self-fulfilling prophecies, they may as well be the positive ones! Learn from mistakes, but don't be so quick to raise the white flag.